TogetherCare

We have assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. We found people received care and support in accordance with this guidance.

We carried out this assessment in response to the age of the rating. At our last assessment we rated the service good. At this assessment the rating has remained good.

The service had systems in place to manage risks and promote safety, including safeguarding processes, incident reporting, medicines audits, staff training and regular supervision. People’s care plans were person-centred and accessible to staff through an electronic care planning system.

Professionals described effective partnership working, timely escalation of concerns and clear documentation. The provider responded quickly to requests for support. They worked with professionals to ensure people had control and were able to receive their end-of-life care in their chosen environment.

Staff received training and support to carry out their roles and demonstrated a good understanding of people's individual needs, preferences and goals. People told us they valued consistent support, set visit times and familiar staff. Where people had reported areas for improvement, this most often related to instances where this had not always been possible, rather than the quality of care. We fed this back to the provider, and they were already taking action to improve this. People and, where appropriate, their relatives mostly told us they could view care plans through the electronic system, which supported transparency and involvement in care.

We identified some shortfalls regarding guidance for people who were prescribed medicines as required and gaps in staff employment records. This was however rectified during the inspection process and guidance, and procedures were put into place.

Overall, people received personalised care and support that reflected their individual needs and aspirations and helped them maintain their independence and wellbeing.